Carved Drinking Horn with Resin Base. 

Size: 4 1/2 x 3 1/2 in. 

A horn is a permanent pointed projection on the head of various animals that consists of a covering of keratin and other proteins surrounding a core of live bone. Horns are distinct from antlers, which are not permanent and are shed sometimes multiple times throughout an animal’s lifetime. Cattle horns arise from subcutaneous connective tissue (under the scalp) and later fuse to the underlying frontal bone, and are often the largest horn formations found in nature due to this connection. Horns usually have a curved or spiral shape, often with ridges or fluting. Similar growths on other parts of the body are not usually called horns, but spurs, claws, or hooves, depending on the part of the body on which they occur. Horned animals are sometimes hunted so their mounted head or horns can be displayed as a hunting trophy or as decorative objects. Some cultures use bovid horns as musical instruments, such as the shofar. These have evolved into brass instruments (literally called horns) in which, unlike the trumpet, the bore gradually increases in width through most of its length, making them conical rather than cylindrical. Drinking horns, gunpowder horns, and shoe horns were all bovid horns removed from the bone core, cleaned, polished, and used for their respective purposes, although nowadays the latter two are mostly made from sturdy synthetic materials. Horn is somewhat thermoplastic and (like tortoiseshell) was formerly used for many purposes where plastic would now be used. In modern times the usage of horn is more strictly regulated, though not as stringently as the much rarer ivory and more so than the ubiquitous basic bone. The conservation and restoration of bone, horn, and antler objects involves the processes by which the deterioration of objects containing or made from them is contained and prevented. This has been documented throughout history in many societal groups as these materials are durable, plentiful, versatile, and naturally occurring/replenishing.